*EPF105 04/28/2003
Transcript: U.S. Organizing Multinational Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan
(Effort complements work of Afghan National Army and ISAF, says Rumsfeld) (1490)

The U.S. is expanding the number of civil-military teams, with personnel from different U.S. agencies and from other coalition nations, to assist with reconstruction projects throughout secure areas of Afghanistan, says Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

These provincial reconstruction teams, as they are called, reflect a decision to move away from reliance solely on the new Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Rumsfeld said in an interview April 26 enroute to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"By mixing a number of agencies and a number of countries," Rumsfeld said, "we demonstrate an ability to make the life better for the Afghan people in those areas, those provinces, those villages, and cities. We believe that that's probably the best thing that can be done to ultimately provide security."

The provincial reconstruction teams are a means of demonstrating to the Afghan people the benefits of supporting President Karzai and the central government, Rumsfeld said. "It is the path of the future."

Rumsfeld cited several reasons for his trip. He wanted an opportunity to thank the troops of the coalition nations operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, to discuss the transition away from major combat operations, and to review the U.S. partnership with its allies in both countries.

Rumsfeld said, "We feel a commitment to the people of those countries, and we intend to stay there and work with international community to assist them in transitioning from where they were to where they're going from an authoritative, authoritarian system...towards a more democratic and representative system in each country. It's important to underline that and to demonstrate that commitment."

Following is a transcript of Secretary Rumsfeld's April 26 interview with reporters enroute to Iraq and Afghanistan:

(begin transcript)

Department of Defense
News Transcript
Presenter:
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
April 26, 2003

Rumsfeld Enroute to Shannon, Ireland

Rumsfeld: Four things just to open it up here. One is and certainty the most important is to have a chance to thank the troops in what ever number of countries we are going to, and who have all been, in one way or another, been deeply involved in the success being achieved in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Second, is to talk with the folks both with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan about the evolution that is taking place from major combat operations. And third, is to discuss with our allies in the countries around Iraq the arrangements we have with them and our partnership and cooperation as we look forward to the end at some point of major combat activity in Iraq. And last, is to underline both in Afghanistan and in Iraq the point that we have made repeatedly. We feel a commitment to those countries.

We feel a commitment to the people of those countries, and we intend to stay there and work with international community to assist them in transitioning from where they were to where they're going from an authoritative, authoritarian system in each case. A repressive system in each case to something that's on the path towards a more democratic and representative system in each country. It's important to underline that and to demonstrate that commitment. Question.

Q: Mr. Secretary, (inaudible) Afghanistan to (inaudible)?

Rumsfeld: We'll be having discussions on that subject with President Karzai and Gen. McNeal and others. And certainly with Gen. Franks before I go into Afghanistan.

Q: (inaudible)

Rumsfeld: It's not. One ought not to think that this is a victory tour. It isn't. We have a lot of hard work left. People are still being shot at. In some cases killed and wounded. The task before us in Iraq is clearly one that is going to take a lot of attention, a lot of focus, and a lot of effort over a period of time.

Q: Mr. Secretary, what (inaudible) or countries around the world (inaudible)?

Rumsfeld: The reality is in life that things are seldom black or white. They're more often a gradation, and if one looks at Afghanistan and even Iraq today, it's very clear that we are and have been in a stabilization operation mode for sometime in many portions of the country.

On the other hand, you look around you can certainly find places where there are still attacks and pockets of resistance. And one has to expect that that will continue. Particularly in countries where you have such porous borders. And let's face it, there are terrorists that exist in the world, and they don't wish those countries well. They'd like to take back Afghanistan and turn it back into a terrorist training camp and place to launch attacks against people across the globe. And we intend to see that that doesn't happen. But your right there is an advantage to some extent to some countries and some organizations look to the formality as opposed to the reality of whether or not an area is permissive and secure, and the bulk of Afghanistan is permissive and secure. As much as a country like that's going to be. (inaudible) are areas particularly along the Pakistani border that are problems.

Q: (inaudible)

Rumsfeld: Well, the president announces his own travel plans. I don't do that for him and what ever he does in his speech is really for him to say. And I don't get into that.

Q: (inaudible)

Rumsfeld: I'm not. I don't know that I am. I want to. We're trying to make it happen. The distances are difficult, and the time makes it very difficult. But we are -- I personally am and our country, our government are very encouraged about the provincial reconstruction team. The so called PRGs. You'll recall in the past there was a good deal of discussion about expanding security forces. Expanding the ISF and the like. We were always happy to have the ISF expanded. The problem was there weren't a lot of countries to formally step up their troops. The people who were recommending it were mostly on editorial boards, columnist, and at the U.N., but they didn't have troops to expand on it then. We've been working to expand the Afghan National Army, so the country of Afghanistan has a capability of its own to provide for security and that's coming along pretty well.

We decided to put our efforts beyond the Afghan National Army and beyond our support for ISAF staff and beyond our coalition forces activities around the country, which is considerable under Gen. McNeal. We decided to put our efforts behind these provincial reconstruction teams. The theory being that in the bulk of the country the area is permissive and secure, and by mixing a number of agencies and a number of countries, in some cases multiple nations, into these teams and going in and demonstrating an ability to make the life better for the Afghan people in those areas, those provinces, those villages, and cities. We believe that that's probably the best thing that can be done to ultimately provide security.

External security forces are important and necessary for a period. After a period, however, they can become an anomaly in a country. And people could become dependent on them, and in the last analysis, what we need is we have to have the people of Afghanistan decide that they want that country to be secure. That they want to support their national government, and we believe that the cooperation we're engaged in with President Karzai and his government with respect to the provincial reconstruction teams is the kind of thing that will demonstrate to the people of Afghanistan that supporting the central government is a good thing. It benefits them and that is the path of the future. So, we're able to -- I think we have three up and going now, and we have, I think, four, five or six that are en route. People are signing up and offering to head up these teams. We're hopeful that will make a difference in the country.

Q: (inaudible)

Rumsfeld: No, I would characterize it as a military mission. It isn't black and white. It was divisively in the areas that are permissive and secure as opposed to the areas that are not. The areas that are not that permissive really do not allow a PRG to function effectively. So they are being put into areas that are secure as to areas that are -- well, there are still pockets of resistance.

Q: (inaudible)

Rumsfeld: The answer to the first question is that there are additional leaders being taken in almost everyday. I can't recall a day where we haven't gathered an additional one or two. I've only seen one of the debriefings from (inaudible), and it's too early to know precisely the extent to which he will or will not cooperate.

Q: Thank you Mr. Secretary.

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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